LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 19902, 26 June 1928, Page 11

LOCAL AND GENERAL

With the retirement of Mr J. Hislop from the dual position of Under-Secre-tary of the Department of Internal Alfairs and Chief Electoral Officer, it has been decided' to separate tho offices. The appointment of Mr G.' IV Newton as Under-Secretary, has already been announced, and tho Public Service Commissioner now advises that Mr G. G. Hodgkins,'who lor some years has held the position of Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, will become Chief Electoral Officer as from Sunday next. Mr Hodgkins has held various posts in the department since 1902, and in 1910 the Government sent him to Tasmania to investigate there the i working of Proportional Representation And the'operation in the Commonwealth of the compulsory registration- of electors. The New Zealand system of compulsory registration is the result of his recommendation, as is the system of postal voting to apply this year. Tho Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society yesterday morning resolved (says a Press Association telegram from Napier) to circularise all similar societies in the dominion with the request for support for the following resolution for presentation to the Prime Minister:—“That tho joint re-: commendations unanimously adopted by representatives, of both the primary and tho secondary industries at the recent Industrial Conference be given effect to, and that the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act be amended accordingly; and that each society join in urging the Prime Minister to give the force of law to the recommendations.” Seven or eight hundred persons were addressed at Napier by Mr H. B. Holland (Leader of the Opposition). Mr Holland’s address was on similar lines to those already reported from other centres, consisting of criticism of tho Reform Administration and presentation of. planks of the Labour platform. No new ground was broken. Mr Barnard, of Kaipara, the Labour candidate for the Napier seat, was introduced to the audience by the mayor. Tho meeting accorded Mr Holland a vote of ■thanks, and expressed confidence in the Labour Party and in him as its leader. Mr Holland will conclude his pre-sessional campaign at Hastings tonight.

The Appeal Court heard an application by Richard Westley Bothamley, Wellington, solicitor, for admission as a barrister of the Supreme Court. The Wellington Law Society, not being satisfied that Bothamley has had during the past five years sufficient practice as a solicitor to' entitle him to admission, had refused to give a complete certificate that the applicant was a. proper person for admission. Tho application, which was not opposed by the Law Society, was adjourned pending tho filing of a further affidavit by the applicant. Tho court also dealt with an application by the Black and White Cabs, Ltd., for leave to appeal to the_ Privy Council against decisions given in two cases during the last session of tho court. The motion in each case was dismissed, with costs (£5 ss).

A rehearing of the case against "William Nathan Hogg, licensee of tho Golden Age Hotel, Bluff, was granted in the Bluff Police Court yesterday, and as a result the presiding justices reversed their previous decision, and the conviction and fine of £3 were revoked. 'Hie charge against Hogg was of receiving four drums of varnish and two drums of enamel, the property of the Commonwealth and Dominion Shipping Line, knowing the same to have been dishonestly obtained. At the first hearing the accused was not represented by counsel, but to-day Mr Eustace Russell appeared for him. In the application for a rehearing was a clause stating that Hogg had been arrested straight away following the finding of the stolen property in his yard, and that he had appeared before the court almost immediately. Counsel submitted that what happened was that when tho firemen offered the goods to Hogg they were rebuffed. Obviously, he said, they could not walk the streets with the paint, and they planted it where it was found in Hogg’s yard. Two firemen on the P.ort Sydney- gave evidence that they overheard two men talking on tho ship, one stating that he had “tho stuff” planted in the yard.

The district governor of Rotary. Mr Charles Rhodes, reported at the Auckland Rotary dub’s luncheon that he had received a cablegram giving particulars of the International Convention at Minneapolis, which had concluded on Saturday. The cablegram stated: “The Minneapolis Convention is history, and to the 9,400 delegates, their wives, and guests.it has been an unforgettable experience. Rotary, in all its experiences in many countries, has probably never lifted its head so proudly as it did at Minneapolis. The of (he city was superb. The convention programme whs entertaining and inspiring'and (lie fellowship such as can he enjoyed best nt a Rotary convention. Imagine if you will representative citizens of thirty nations meeting on common ground, having a common purpose and a mutual interest in each other’s problems, eager (o discuss those problems and to hear the opinions ol speakers from many countries. The convention was officially opened by the chairman of the Convention Committee, Past International President Raymond M. Havens. Undoubtedly one of the most significant events of the convention was the welcome by President Arthur Sapp to new clubs in those countries into which Rotary has spread during the past year. An interesting feature was the meeting of representatives of Rotary clubs in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. This assembly proved valuable in connection with the problems of Rotary _administration in Pnuth and Central America.' The New Zealand; Engine Drivers. Firemens,, and Cleaners' Association recentlv held a ballot on two questions —whether the president should be elected by the members nr by Hie Grand Council, and whether there, should be a dominion executive or a local Wellington executive. The result of the voting follows:—Tn favour of a dominion executive, 1.122 votes: in favour of the local executive, 444. Tn favour of the election of a'president by all financial members, I.IRS: in favour of the president being elected by and from the Grand Council. 377. —Press Association.

The newly-formed “Welsh Society,” which bears the title of the Cambrian Society of Otago, gives every promise of becoming a large and influential institution. At a meeting of the executive last evening, at whicli the Rev. G. E. Moreton presided, the constitution of the society was discussed at some length, and it was decided to adopt the rules and conditions under which the Cambrian _ Society of Canterbury is conducted, with the addition of several new clauses. The chairman and secretary announced that quite a number of Welsh people and descendants who were unable to attend the first meeting had signified their intention to..' become members. It was'decided that the annual meeting of the society be held on the Prince of, Wales’s birthday- It is expected that the second meeting, to be held nest Monday evening, will be attended by nearly double the number present at the inauguration of the society. A large amount of routine business was dealt with, and it was pleasing to see the enthusiasm shown by every member of The executive present. It is the intention of the society, in the very near future, to arrange a syllabus of concerts, which should be of sufficient interest to induce every Welsh man and woman in Dunedin to attend. At the meeting to be held early in August a lecture on Welsh art and literature will be given by the Rev. Professor Davies.